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About Me

I’ve been cooking as long as I can remember, professionally since I was 17. I love everything about food, and spent my life pursuing it. I was an apprentice pastry chef in Innsbruck Austria before I even went to cooking school. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America I became a full fledged Pastry Chef for a high end country club, and love it as I did there was so much more to be done, which eventually led me to catering. My catering company is just what I want it to be; I get to do something different everyday either in the kitchen or helping a bride design her ideal wedding or just researching new recipes out of my own imagination.
If you would like more details about my career, please the About page on my website www.SonomaCaterers.com.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Wow, you would think we were back in the 70’s, fondue is the
thing. Time to check the cabinets and pull
out those fondue forks and set up for a romantic evening. The barriers to what can be dipped and what
you dip it in have expanded; all the old classic fondues are back, along with a
lot of new options. Here are a few of my
favorites

Asian Peanut Fondue

½ cup Peanut Butter

½ cup Soy Sauce

1 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 cup Olive Oil

½ cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Simply mix all the ingredients well. I like to us my electric hand blender; it
does a very thorough job. Then
warm. I like to warm it on the stove
first, but you can just put in your fondue pot over the flame; just remember to
stir it a bit.

For dipping, try blanching some of your favorite vegetables,
like from fresh cut bell pepper and snap peas, along with some chilled sliced grilled
chicken breast. You can reheat some shu
mai that you can pick up frozen at the market.
This is one of my husband’s favorites - he’ll eat anything with peanut
sauce. This is also a great peanut
sauce, hot or cold, to add on the side to any Asian dish.

Fondue Trivia: Did you know if you something falls off your
fork into the sauce you have to kiss whoever is to you left?

Another great opener is also a classic cheese fondue, which
happens to be my favorite. I love
cheese.

Classic Cheese Fondue

1 Tbl Vegetable Oil

1 clove Garlic minced fine

2 Tbl Flour

1 cup White Wine

8 oz shredded Swiss

8 oz shredded Gruyer

½ dry mustard

Place the olive oil and garlic in a heavy bottom sauce pan, and
heat till the garlic is just barely cooked; you want to be cautious not to brown or burn. Remove from heat and add in the flour and
stir to make a roux. Return to heat on
medium low, whisk in the white wine.
This will create a thickened sauce.
Bring to boiling lightly for 3 to 5 minutes stirring often. Turn the heat to low and slowly add the both
cheeses. I recommend using a wood spoon
or spatula to keep the bottom of the pot clean so it does not burn. Then just transfer to the fondue pot.

Trivia: All dippers should swirl their bread in a figure
eight mention, just dipping is bad form (hint: it also helps to stir the
cheese).

Classic Oil Fondue

Note: Please remember that this is using boiling hot
oil and should only be done with proper equipment, and should not be left
unattended.

This is the type of fondue where you will actually be
cooking the dippers in it, not just adding a warm sauce. Start with a Fondue Pot using a White Gas
Burner and 4 to 6 cups of peanut oil.
The reason we must use peanut oil is that it has a high smoking
point. Expect it to take 30 to 45
minutes to get up to temperature (about 300 degrees). If it smokes, it is too hot.

Crimini Mushrooms:
Great additions for your vegetarians, treat the same as tri tip

Italian Meat Balls
& Raviolis: Pre-cooked and cooled.
Serve with a side of marinara

Bell Peppers, Red
Onions: sliced and raw

The top of the evening should always be a chocolate fondue;
this is a great way to finish any dinner!

Chocolate Fondue

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 cups Chocolate Chips, semi sweet

Bring the cream to a boil in a heavy bottom pan, turn the heat
off, and stir in chocolate chips till melted.
Yes it is that easy. This holds
really well and can be made ahead and just microwaved when needed. If you make it ahead try not to eat it all
before the party!

Dippers: Fresh fruit like Strawberries, banana pineapple*, kiwi*. *Wet fruits will be harder as the chocolate
will tend to not stick properly.
Cookies, graham crackers, marshmallows and anything you can think of.

You can have some fun here.
Lay out graham crackers with toppings that can then be pre-dipped in
marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, almond butter, strawberry jam, and sweet
cream cheese. Your guests can spread
then dip.